Sport - Cricket

Delhi and Tamil Nadu back in contention

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, FEB. 8. The race for the Ranji Trophy one-day inter-zonal tournament title hotted up on Sunday with Delhi and Tamil Nadu storming back into contention with contrasting victories. Delhi stopped the successful run of Mumbai with a two-wicket win at the Eastern Railway Sports Complex while Tamil Nadu made short work of Rajasthan to romp home by 10 wickets at the Jadavpur University Campus (Salt Lake).

Despite the loss, Mumbai led the points table with nine followed by Bengal with eight. Tamil Nadu and Delhi were on four while Rajasthan ended with minus 1. Tamil Nadu, which had conceded a bonus point to Mumbai and was on minus 1, earned five for today's victory.

In the penultimate round of matches on Monday, Tamil Nadu clashes with Delhi and Mumbai takes on Bengal.

Tamil Nadu needed just 129 minutes and 31.3 overs to dismiss Rajasthan for 70 with only P. Krishnakumar (22) and Kaushal Devra (12) reaching double figures. With the first match loss weighing heavily on their minds, Tamil Nadu won the toss and put Rajasthan in. All the bowlers shared the spoils with captain S. Suresh returning figures of three for 20.

Tamil Nadu reached the target in just 8.4 overs with openers Anirudh Srikkanth (47 not out, 31b, 10x4) and Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (16 not out, 22b, 1x4) tearing apart the Rajasthan bowling. The contest was over before lunch.

After the loss to Bengal, Delhi was a transformed side against the in-form Mumbai. Some disciplined bowling and keen fielding enabled Delhi restrict Mumbai, opting to bat, to 172 in 49.5 overs. At one stage, Mumbai was tottering at 51 for six in 17.4 overs, but the gutsy Manish Bangera and Abhishek Nair added a valuable 86 runs for the seventh wicket.

Wicketkeeper Bangera made 49 (83b, 6x4) while Nair made 49 (86b, 4x4, 1x6). Only Robin Morris (10) and Rahul Thakur (14 not out) reached double figures apart from Mr. Extras for Mumbai.

"It was simply poor batting,'' conceded Mumbai coach, Chandrakant Pandit. "At the same time, the credit should to go Delhi for bowling superbly.''

Delhi, too, did not begin well. But opener Akash Chopra provided solidity to the innings with a role tailormade for him. From 55 for five, Chopra and Rajat Bhatia raised 89 in 134 balls to help Delhi scamper home.

Chopra had a reprieve at 43 when Delhi was 74 for five in the 30th over, as Nishit Shetty dropped a catch off Onkar Khanvilkar at square-leg. This probably cost Mumbai the game. Even Bhatia enjoyed a `life' when Bangera missed a stumping chance off Nilesh Kulkarni with the batsman on 33 in the 44th over.

Though Bhatia was caught three balls later and Chopra too fell at the same total of 141 in the next over, Delhi's lower-order batsmen, especially Kunal Lal — who took 10 runs off Kulkarni in the 46th over — and Sarandeep Singh, who hit a six off Morris, ensured a win for Delhi.

The scores:

Mumbai 172 in 49.5 overs (Manish Bangera 49, Abhishek Nair 49, Kuldeep Rawat three for 15) lost to Delhi 173 for eight in 49 overs (Akash Chopra 83, Rajat Bhatia 33, Rahul Thakur three for 27, Robin Morris three for 31).

Rajasthan 70 in 31.3 overs (S. Suresh three for 20) lost to Tamil Nadu 71 for no loss in 8.4 overs (Anirudh Srikkanth 47 not out).

© Copyright 2000 - 2009 The Hindu